Box Score

READING, Pa. –  Jordan Boyer fired a three-hit shutout to lead Albright College to a 1-0 victory over the Lebanon Valley College baseball team in the Commonwealth Conference opener for both squads Friday afternoon at Kelchner Field.

Freshman Travis Smart, the reigning Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week, was nearly as impressive as Boyer, holding the Lions to five hits and one unearned run over seven innings. 

Boyer recorded his second straight shutout over the Flying Dutchmen (2-7, 0-1 CC), dating back to last season. Boyer threw a no-hitter as Albright defeated LVC 6-0 in both team’s 2005 season finale.

Lebanon Valley lost its first 1-0 game since May 2, 2001 against Messiah College in the opening round of the Commonwealth Conference playoffs.

The Lions (4-1, 1-0 CC) scored the game’s only run in the fifth inning. After a leadoff single from Andrew Sieracki, No. 9 hitter Jason Dunkleberger reached on an error while laying down a sacrifice bunt. Leadoff hitter Kyle Wenrich then reached on a fielder’s choice on another sacrifice attempt to load the bases before Chad Mackey grounded into a 5-4 fielder’s choice to score Sieracki. Smart escaped further damage when he induced a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

Smart settled in after the fifth and tossed back-to-back three-up, three-down innings. Freshman Nick Faria came on to throw a perfect eighth inning to keep it a one-run game.

The Dutchmen had the tying run on second in the ninth when sophomore second baseman Corey Lamoureux was hit with a pitch leading off. Freshman pinch-runner Brandon Thompson was sacrificed to second by freshman leftfielder Bert Malloy, but Boyer got a pair of pop-outs to end the game.

Lebanon Valley’s best chance to score came in the first, when it had the bases loaded with one out before Boyer recorded a strikeout and fly-out.

Boyer (1-0) struck out four and walked three while Smart (2-1) fanned one and walked one.

Sophomore shortstop John Mentzer singled to push his hitting streak to seven.

The two teams complete their three-game season series on Saturday, when they play a doubleheader at LVC’s McGill Park starting at noon.

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